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Why you should block calls from your own number
08-05-2017, 09:26 AM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,022
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Why you should block calls from your own number
A few months ago I got a robocall attempt on my cell phone from my own 'spoofed' cell phone number. I didn't answer and blocked my number since I couldn't think of any reason I'd need to reach myself. Too bad I didn't encourage the DW to do the same with her number.
Last night she got two calls from her number, one shortly after midnight and a second around 2:30 AM. Her phone is set to initiate Do Not Disturb mode between 10 PM and 6 AM, blocking all calls from anyone not on her contacts list, but her own number is considered to be a contact, thus the calls came through (she didn't answer).
I'd recommend those of you with cell phones preemptively block your own number now and avoid the possibility of a rude awakening - or two.
__________________
Numbers is hard
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08-05-2017, 09:36 AM
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#2
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: New York City
Posts: 2,838
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I pay 10 cents a minute for incoming and out going phone calls. I leave my cell phone in the armrest of the car. When I got shopping, I usually retrieve it, and walk to where im going. It always has missed calls, messages. Never from anyone I know. When I get home I call the phone from my landline, and erase the messages.
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Withdrawal Rate currently zero, Pension 137 % of our spending, Wasted 5 years of my prime working extra for a safe withdrawal rate. I can live like a King for a year, or a Prince for the rest of my life. I will stay on topic, I will stay on topic, I will stay on topic
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08-05-2017, 09:41 AM
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#3
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,726
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
A few months ago I got a robocall attempt on my cell phone from my own 'spoofed' cell phone number. I didn't answer and blocked my number since I couldn't think of any reason I'd need to reach myself. Too bad I didn't encourage the DW to do the same with her number.
Last night she got two calls from her number, one shortly after midnight and a second around 2:30 AM. Her phone is set to initiate Do Not Disturb mode between 10 PM and 6 AM, blocking all calls from anyone not on her contacts list, but her own number is considered to be a contact, thus the calls came through (she didn't answer).
I'd recommend those of you with cell phones preemptively block your own number now and avoid the possibility of a rude awakening - or two.
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Thanks. I would have never thought to do that. I am seeing a pretty substantial increase in robo-calls, and most now have the area code and prefix of my number.
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08-05-2017, 09:57 AM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB
I am seeing a pretty substantial increase in robo-calls, and most now have the area code and prefix of my number.
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Same here.
I saw a bit about this exact issue recently on a national TV news program. The scammers are technologically way ahead of the guys chasing them.
__________________
Numbers is hard
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08-05-2017, 10:00 AM
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#5
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Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,726
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
Same here.
I saw a bit about this exact issue recently on a national TV news program. The scammers are technologically way ahead of the guys chasing them.
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Actually, it doesn't seem as if there is much effort put into chasing, or stopping, phone scammers. Certainly the phone companies themselves don't appear to have much interest.
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08-05-2017, 10:04 AM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,229
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I've been seeing something similar (but slightly different) more often lately. They aren't spoofing my number but they do spoof my area code and local prefix to make it appear it's a local call when actually the call originates from out of state.
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08-05-2017, 10:12 AM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zinger1457
... when actually the call originates from out of state.
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And often out of the country.
__________________
Numbers is hard
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08-05-2017, 10:21 AM
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#8
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,945
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zinger1457
I've been seeing something similar (but slightly different) more often lately. They aren't spoofing my number but they do spoof my area code and local prefix to make it appear it's a local call when actually the call originates from out of state.
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This is also what I'm seeing, both on my cell phone and on our landline. The last 4 digits are generally different with each call. I'm wary of blocking them because neighbors have the same prefix and some of the numbers I'm sure are legitimate. What a PITA.
__________________
"One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute." William Feather
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ER'd Oct. 2010 at 53. Life is good.
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08-05-2017, 10:41 AM
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#9
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Brewster
Posts: 367
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I get a call every day from my area code and prefix, but an ever-changing four-digit suffix. Since I use a mobile phone, my prefix is not the same as my neighborhood landline phones.
Frankly, if the caller isn't in my address book, I don't answer. A valid caller will leave a message. DW answers, I suspect for the entertainment value. But robocalls aren't much fun. You can't play with them the way you can with live callers.
My very favorite answer was back in the days of "jammers" who tried to make you switch long-distance services. "Are you satisfied with your long distance provider?" To which I responded, "I'm sorry, I don't have a phone."
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08-05-2017, 10:50 AM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 3,519
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Interesting - if you call your own number (at least on Verizon), you go directly to voice mail.
So, your provider knows that it isn't your phone calling, yet allows them to spoof the number. The providers really need to up their game.
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08-05-2017, 11:59 AM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: On a hill in the Pine Barrens
Posts: 9,722
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Calls from your area code and local exchange are more frequent because more people are dropping their landlines. The numbers are spoofed or actual numbers. Mr Number stops a lot of these.
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Why you should block calls from your own number
08-05-2017, 07:10 PM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Laurel, MD
Posts: 8,327
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Why you should block calls from your own number
I get random calls from a variety of live and robo callers on my cell phone. I have had to force myself to not answer automatically. I'm also working hard to not auto matically acknowledge if they ask "is this ?"
I do believe you earn a higher spot on the sucker list if you answer the call even if you don't comply.
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08-05-2017, 08:45 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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If you block your own number, wouldn't it prevent you from calling your phone when it gets lost, like in the couch cushions?
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08-05-2017, 08:51 PM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
If you block your own number, wouldn't it prevent you from calling your phone when it gets lost, like in the couch cushions?
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Good point. I'll have to remember to use someone else's phone to call mine if I lose it.
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Numbers is hard
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08-05-2017, 09:34 PM
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#15
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 9,182
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB
I am seeing a pretty substantial increase in robo-calls, and most now have the area code and prefix of my number.
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Me too. It is particularly frustrating because my phone is a work phone and many of us have the same area code and prefix. Now I guess everyone has to leave a message if they want to talk to me and are not a known contact.
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08-06-2017, 12:43 AM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,244
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zinger1457
I've been seeing something similar (but slightly different) more often lately. They aren't spoofing my number but they do spoof my area code and local prefix to make it appear it's a local call when actually the call originates from out of state.
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I have seen that a lot lately also....
Now here is the worst part.... having the use YOUR number to spoof.... not sure how long ago it was, but I literally got hundreds (if not more than 1000) calls to my phone... there were so many that Comcast was 'answering' them as they could not get through on the two that were on my line at one time... they would say 'I do not know who you are, but you just called me'.... well, NO, I did not...
It took me awhile to guess that someone had spoofed my number and used it for robo calls... and these people had nothing better to do than call me back!!!
Lucky it was only a couple of days and all was back to normal...
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08-06-2017, 01:21 AM
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#17
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,330
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Collar Guy
When I get home I call the phone from my landline, and erase the messages.
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Now, THAT is a thrifty user! No wonder you are running on a 0% SWR.
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08-06-2017, 04:07 AM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,930
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It's gotten so bad that I just rarely answer the phone - unless it's someone I have listed. If it's important, they will leave a message - most don't. Most don't even let it ring long enough to go to voicemail. YMMV
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08-06-2017, 04:17 AM
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#19
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,305
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
If you block your own number, wouldn't it prevent you from calling your phone when it gets lost, like in the couch cushions?
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It sounds like it would help reduce robocalls, but doesn't that mean your number will be blocked when calling your contacts who you want to have your caller ID info? That's a tough choice.
Like others here, I never answer any calls these days from unidentified callers (anyone not already in my contacts), and many of my friends are now doing the same. Unidentified callers that need to get through will leave a message.
I'm getting a couple robocalls calls a day now, and I've noticed it's from my own area code some lately. I do reverse lookup and block all numbers with any spam risk, but it is a PITA.
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Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
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08-06-2017, 05:14 AM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Midpack
It sounds like it would help reduce robocalls, but doesn't that mean your number will be blocked when calling your contacts who you want to have your caller ID info?
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No. Call blocking only blocks incoming calls from the number you specify.
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